tennis_hack
Banned
So there is another thread running along here that claims that Djokovic does not have a match-up advantage against Nadal - they are merely equal. I agree with this. Djokovic is good at escaping Nadal's bread-and-butter forehand-to-backhand rally, but does not really have a bread-and-butter play against Nadal of his own. The match-up is either neutral or slightly in Nadal's favor.
So what type of shots would a player have to have to have a match up advantage against Nadal on the clay-like very slow hardourts that are standard on the tour today?
I'll suggest, if they're a right-handed player, they should be 6ft 1in-ish and heavy with muscle, yet extremely powerful and explosive. They should, have a very heavy topspin forehand - heavier than Federer's and Djokovic's for sure. I'm thinking something Andreev-like, enabling them to pound Nadal's backhand with height and spin in the same way Nadal tries to do to everyone else.
Off the backhand they would want to hit with brutal height and spin as well. Nadal has a straight-arm forehand, which, I believe, is somewhat more vulnerable than bent-arm forehands at handling high balls. Also, he depends on whipping up on the back of the ball to create topspin with his forehand, and if he's forced to hit a ball that is already higher than his head - there's not much reach left with which to whip up on the back of that ball, so Nadal's forehand will give you a flatter reply. Either a Gasquet-like extreme grip 1hbh, or a very heavy topspin 2hbh (suggestions?) would do.
This player would create violent spin from both wings, and therefore would not run around the backhand, giving Nadal no open court, no angles, and no room to hit down the line forehands. Movement needs to be Djokovic/Murray-like, and fitness needs to be up there. Demeanor needs to be psychopathic and intimidating. Priorities need to be creating a winning h2h with Nadal at all costs, regardless of how many Slams they've won.
So what type of shots would a player have to have to have a match up advantage against Nadal on the clay-like very slow hardourts that are standard on the tour today?
I'll suggest, if they're a right-handed player, they should be 6ft 1in-ish and heavy with muscle, yet extremely powerful and explosive. They should, have a very heavy topspin forehand - heavier than Federer's and Djokovic's for sure. I'm thinking something Andreev-like, enabling them to pound Nadal's backhand with height and spin in the same way Nadal tries to do to everyone else.
Off the backhand they would want to hit with brutal height and spin as well. Nadal has a straight-arm forehand, which, I believe, is somewhat more vulnerable than bent-arm forehands at handling high balls. Also, he depends on whipping up on the back of the ball to create topspin with his forehand, and if he's forced to hit a ball that is already higher than his head - there's not much reach left with which to whip up on the back of that ball, so Nadal's forehand will give you a flatter reply. Either a Gasquet-like extreme grip 1hbh, or a very heavy topspin 2hbh (suggestions?) would do.
This player would create violent spin from both wings, and therefore would not run around the backhand, giving Nadal no open court, no angles, and no room to hit down the line forehands. Movement needs to be Djokovic/Murray-like, and fitness needs to be up there. Demeanor needs to be psychopathic and intimidating. Priorities need to be creating a winning h2h with Nadal at all costs, regardless of how many Slams they've won.
